Scientific African 8 (2020) e00392

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Scientific African
journal homepage: www.elsevier.com/locate/sciaf

Food safety knowledge and practices among fresh coconut

vendors
C. Oduro-Yeboah, N.B. Ackah, P.T. Akonor∗, S.K. Amponsah, F.P. Mboom
Food Technology Research Division, CSIR-Food Research Institute, P.O.Box M30 Accra, Ghana

a r t i c l e i n f o a b s t r a c t

Article history: The study examines the distribution and sale practices of coconut vendors, identifies and
Received 21 September 2019 analyzes food safety bottlenecks associated with street vending of fresh coconuts in Accra,
Revised 25 March 2020
Ghana. A cluster random sampling technique was used in which the study area was classi-
Accepted 31 March 2020
fied into three zones. One hundred fresh coconut vendors responded to a structured ques-
tionnaire. The results showed that vendors were predominantly male, most of who were
Keywords: educated up to secondary school level. Many (70.8%) of them learnt the trade through ap-
Coconut prenticeship. The vendors were either stationed at a particular location (46.1%), or moved
Food safety around as itinerant traders (53.8%), with their product displayed on pushcarts or head
Coconut vendors pans. The respondents revealed that more than 30% of consumers patronize fresh coconut
Knowledge because of its water. Food safety challenges identified in the coconut business include po-
tential cross contamination of packaging materials by fresh coconuts, dipping pared co-
conut into alum solution to preserve freshness, and improper waste handling during and
after sales. Education had a positive influence on food safety knowledge among the fresh
coconut vendors (χ 2 = 12.8, p < 0.05). Generally, vendors’ knowledge in food safety was
encouraging but there ought to be an improvement in these areas of their operations to
safeguard the health of consumers.
© 2020 The Authors. Published by Elsevier B.V. on behalf of African Institute of
Mathematical Sciences / Next Einstein Initiative.
This is an open access article under the CC BY license.
(http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/)

Introduction

Coconut (Cocos nucifera) is a member of the family Arecaceae (palm family) and the only species of the genus Cocos. It is
an agricultural and livelihood crop for many people in Southeast Asia, the Pacific region, Africa and some countries in Latin
America [7]. Often named ‘tree of life’ because of its versatility, coconut is a vital multipurpose crop grown throughout the
tropical regions of the world. Coconut palms can grow in fragile environments and poor quality soil, where few alternative
crops would thrive. Nearly one third of the world’s population depend on coconut as their source of food and their economy
[7]. In Ghana, it is an economic crop with a wide range of uses, including provision of fuel, food and indigenous building
materials [18]. Coconuts are found along the entire coast of Ghana and its density wanes moving inland towards the north-
ern and eastern directions [6]. According to Abankwah et al., [1], in Ghana, coconut provides employment for about 76,0 0 0
people nationwide and generates income for many rural dwellers.

∗
Corresponding author.
E-mail address: papatoah@gmail.com (P.T. Akonor).

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.sciaf.2020.e00392
2468-2276/© 2020 The Authors. Published by Elsevier B.V. on behalf of African Institute of Mathematical Sciences / Next Einstein Initiative. This is an
open access article under the CC BY license. (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/)
2 C. Oduro-Yeboah, N.B. Ackah and P.T. Akonor et al. / Scientific African 8 (2020) e00392

Table 1
Study zones and locations (N = 104).

Location Frequency (n)

Zone1 LEKMA area 22

Zone2 Accra East 33
Zone3 Accra West 49
Total 104

The coconut fruits serve as the source of raw material in many food products such as coconut milk and cream, desiccated
coconut, coconut chips, coconut water, coconut oil, etc. Aside from the use of coconut water as tropical beverage, it is also
used as a microbiological growth medium [21]. Coconut water is sterile within the nut and is free from microorganisms but
when exposed to air or to the environment, the product is prone to microbial contamination and deterioration. Factors that
may negatively affect the quality of coconut water during production include pesticide residues and heavy metals. These
chemical contaminants can be absorbed from soil or water. Published data also indicate that fresh coconut water supports
the growth of E. coli, K. pneumonia and Listeria monocytogens if contaminated with these organisms ([4]; Walter et al., 2009).
Therefore proper handling and management throughout the post-harvest and processing are important to ensure coconut
water and other edible parts, retain their inherent qualities (FAO, 2007).
In Ghana and many other developing economies, street vending of fruits, vegetables and other cooked and or minimally
processed foods is commonplace. Some of these products have exceeded regulatory limits for microbiological contamination,
thus raising food safety concerns [20,24]. Available information shows that poor food handling practices are the main cause
of the outbreak of foodborne illnesses (WHO, 2002). Ababio and Adi (2012) ascribed this to the fact that many food handlers
do not understand the basis for observing safe food practices. To ensure that coconut water remains safe at the point of
consumption, proper handling, processing and storage by the vendor is crucial. Vendors need to take proper precautions to
reduce microbial contamination of their products since they constitute a major line of defense against foodborne diseases.
Despite the many health benefits which are derived from consuming coconut water and other coconut products, the
handling and preparation processes may pose a safety risk to consumers. The aim of this study was therefore to evaluate
distribution and sale practices of coconut vendors, identify and analyze food safety bottlenecks associated with the street
vending of fresh coconuts.

Methodology

Study location setting

A survey of coconut vendors was conducted in the selected communities of Accra Metropolis in Ghana, where fresh
coconut is predominantly sold along major streets and avenues. These areas are urban and reflect a typical modern society in
which consumers are inclined to patronizing the convenience presented by street vended food products. The study area was
structured into three locations (Table 1), and at least four suburbs randomly selected from these locations for questionnaire
administration.

Data collection instrument

A questionnaire was designed to obtain information on retailing of coconut and safety aspects associated with its sales.
The first section of this questionnaire was essentially to gather information on the demographic characteristics of the co-
conut vendors including age group, gender, marital status and religion. The second section of the questionnaire contained
questions for gathering information on varieties of coconut sold, fruits sold in a day, where and how long fruit can keep
and food safety practices employed. This section generally contained closed ended questions and a few open ended ones.
Enrolment was mainly based on availability and willingness to participate in the study. The consent of respondents were
sought after a detailed explanation of the study. For respondent who could not read or write in English, the questions were
read and interpreted in vernacular and the responses translated directly onto the questionnaire. The questionnaires were
pre-tested in a pilot survey using twenty (20) coconut vendors located within the study area. Based on the responses ob-
tained, the questionnaire was modified to make it suitable as a research tool for collecting the relevant data. The pre-test
questionnaires were not included in the final data analysis. Cronbach’s alpha, used to determine the internal consistency of
the questionnaire, showed that the questionnaire was reliable (α = 0.83).

Sample size determination

The total sample size of the respondents to be interviewed for the study location was calculated using the relation,
Ni = 4X pi (1-pi )/d2
Where, Ni is the total number of respondents (Chadare et al., 2008).
 C. Oduro-Yeboah, N.B. Ackah and P.T. Akonor et al. / Scientific African 8 (2020) e00392 3

Table 2
Demographic information of respondents (N = 104).

Variables Groups Frequency (n) Percent (%)

Age (years) <20 9 8.6

20–29 46 44.2
30–39 35 33.7
40–49 13 12.5
50+ 1 1.0
Sex Male 103 99.0
Female 1 1.0
Marital status Single 68 65.4
Married 29 27.9
Others 7 6.7
Educational status None 15 14.4
Primary 65 62.5
Secondary 24 23.1
Role in household Head 84 80.8
Dependent 20 19.2
Primary livelihood (coconut trade) Yes 95 91.3
No 9 8.7
Experience (years) <1 13 12.5
1–2 35 33.7
3–5 48 46.2
>5 8 7.7

Pi = np /Nt ; the proportion np of the product producer, vendors and consumer among the Nt randomly interviewed and
d the expected error margin fixed at 0.05 (Dagnelie 1998). A statistical power of 80% was achieved based on this equation
and its parameters used in the sample size calculation.

Data entry and analysis

Questionnaire responses were entered into a template (SPSS 17.1, SPSS Inc.) designed purposely for this study. Entries in
the software template were validated by manually comparing these against responses on each questionnaire (hard copy).
Additional categories were generated for “other” responses, if several respondents answered them similarly. A total of 115
questionnaires were distributed but 104 were included in the data analysis. The remaining 11 were excluded because they
were either incomplete or responses were notably inconsistent. Data was analyzed using descriptive statistics and chi square
test conducted to establish association between respondents’ demography and food safety variables.

Results and discussion

Demography of respondents

The demographic profile of respondents is outlined in Table 2. In contrast to the assertion that women have a monopoly
over street foods [15,14] in Ghana and other developing countries, this study population was male dominated. This is pos-
sibly due to the strenuous nature of coconut vending, a task which involves carrying, dehusking and paring coconuts. The
respondents were mostly unmarried and a majority (77.9%) aged between 20–39 years. Quite a few teenagers were also
encountered in the study (Table 2). Majority (62.5%) of respondents had basic education, some (14.4%) had secondary ed-
ucation and the rest had no formal education. In the words of Abankwah et al. [1], fresh coconut marketing “has been
identified as a safe net for school drop outs, proving meaningful employment for them”. Coconut vendors’ households were
made up of an average of four members (data not shown).

Business setup and distribution practices

The results showed that coconut vending was the primary source of livelihood for more than 90% of respondents, with
close to 93% of them having engaged in the coconut vending business for up to five years. In addition to coconut selling,
the remaining 8.7% of respondents were engaged in other income generating activities such as working as manual laborers
or trading in other food produce. This results reflect the finding of previous studies (Azanza et al., 20 0 0; [12,8]) which
reported street food vending to constitute the main income generation activity for many people in developing countries.
While some respondents (7.9%) got into the coconut vending trade through family, others (70.8%), who incidentally were in
the majority, acquired the skill though apprenticeship. Another category of respondents, who constituted about 20% of the
study population started the business on their own, without prior training or under studying. Even though the vendors had
been engaged in the business for long, only a few (15.7%) of them employ additional hands. All respondents within this
category (those who employ additional hands) had a maximum of two employees to assist in their business.
4 C. Oduro-Yeboah, N.B. Ackah and P.T. Akonor et al. / Scientific African 8 (2020) e00392

Table 3
Varieties of coconut sold by vendors and mode of distribution (N = 104).

Variable Response Frequency χ2 p-value

Coconut variety Local 46

Exotic 26 6.08 0.043
Both local and exotic 32
Mode of distribution Stationed 48 0.64 0.424
Itinerant 56

Fig. 1. Source of coconut sold by vendors.

Inconsistent with the characteristics of street food vending, majority of fresh coconut sellers were not stationed at a
particular location (Table 3). Perhaps, as a business strategy, these respondents roam within a particular locality with the
fresh coconuts loaded in wheel burrows or push carts. The remaining itinerant coconut sellers, carry the nuts in head pans.
Coconut vendors who are stationed at a particular location also make use of push carts or wheel burrows to display their
product. The results showed that an average of 53 coconuts were sold per day
The choice of coconut variety to sell, according to respondents, was generally informed by the preference of the con-
sumer. Therefore in order to reach out to a wider consumer base some vendors revealed that they sell both “local” (West
African Tall) and exotic varieties such as Sri Lanka Dwarf. A section of respondents were inclined to sell only the exotic
variety (Table 3) because, according to them, the nuts are bigger and contain more water and meat than the “local” varieties
which appear smaller. The perception that improved varieties are grown with a lot of agrochemicals was also identified,
albeit seemingly peripheral, as a reason for not selling improved varieties. constitute the source of Fresh coconuts for these
vendors were obtained from local markets, farm gates and distributors/aggregators (middlemen) (Fig. 1).

Food safety conditions and practices among vendors

According to the coconut sellers, whereas 65% of consumers buy coconut for its water and meat, more than 35% mainly
buy for the water alone. Coconut water is refreshing and therapeutic, and according to Singh et al., (2007), it is gaining
popularity as a healthy beverage. Therefore it was unsurprising that more than one third of consumers patronize coconuts
exclusively for its water. The vendors revealed that most customers consume coconut water directly from the fruit, while
for others, it is packaged in clear flexible low density polyethylene (LDPE) bags. After draining the water, the nut is split
into two halves and the white flesh scooped out of its shell using either a spoon, the paring knife or a uniquely shaped slit
of coconut fiber. Similarly, the flesh is also packed in LDPE bags. These polybags, which are provided by the vendors, are
usually kept together with the raw coconuts. As a result there is a high potential for cross-contamination of the packaging
material to occur. Only a handful of vendors (29%) keep packaging material separately and away from the raw coconuts.
Although washing and sanitizing fruits contribute effectively to food safety, results of the study showed that these were
not widely practiced among the respondents. This observation may be attributed to the perception that the edible parts of
coconut may not be contaminated because it is within the inner cavity of a hardened shell. Some studies have established
the sterility of coconut water, but in these studies, the water was aseptically extracted [13,4]. A previous report however
suggests that contamination could occur because the shell has been found to harbor heavy populations of several microbes
[9]. Therefore proper handling after harvest and during processing is key in ensuring that product remains safe. After par-
ing, nearly half of the respondents (43.7%) revealed that they wash the nuts with a solution of alum to maintain freshness,
prevent discoloration and make the coconuts attractive. The health implication of this practice, however, is yet to be ascer-
tained.
The results showed (Table 4) that responses to hand washing practices inquired from the vendors was quite encouraging.
Nearly 72% intimated that they wash their hands in between servings. Similarly, about 73% wash their paring knives and
 C. Oduro-Yeboah, N.B. Ackah and P.T. Akonor et al. / Scientific African 8 (2020) e00392 5

Table 4
Hand and equipment washing practices.

Activity Response Percentage (%)

Hand washing in between servings Yes 71.6

No 28.4
Frequency of hand washing Always 14.8
Sometimes 56.8
Never 28.4
Washing of paring knives and scoops Yes 70.7
No 29.3
Frequency of washing knives and scoops Always 10.2
Sometimes 62.5
Never 29.3

scoops in between servings or after use. Even though running water was unavailable at the vending sites as observed in the
study by Mensah et al., [14], a few vendors had water stored in handy buckets or gallons at their vending sites. As indicated,
close to 30% of vendors encountered hardly wash their hands or their working aids. Our results showed that a majority of
people within this category (χ 2 = 23.53, p < 0.01) were itinerant coconut vendors, who probably may not have access to
water for washing. Apart from Mensah et al. [14], other researchers [23,16] also noted the absence of water for washing
among street food vendors from different countries. The vendors who do not adhere to good hand and equipment washing
practices argued that the edible parts of coconuts cannot be contaminated and therefore hand-washing does not affect the
safety status of coconuts. Even though the proportion of respondents who held this view is noteworthy, their numbers
may not necessarily pose a public health challenge. Their situation could be managed through education, food safety and
public health advocacy possibly through new media technologies, as suggested by Jacob et al., (2010). In this regard effective
messages developed with the needs of the target audience in mind must be designed [11].
The waste (mainly coconut husk and shell) generated from the operations of the vendors is kept together with the fresh
coconuts on the same vending cart or head pan until close of the day’s business. Subsequently, the waste is disposed-off
in a refuse dump or by heaping and burning at a later time when the fiber is dry. In the face of increasing coconut waste,
these methods of managing the waste appears to be unsustainable, because it takes a long time for the fiber and shells
to dry. Ofori-Agyeman [19] estimated that about 98–155 kg of coconut waste is generated daily in some Ghanaian cities.
This may pollute the environment or serve as breeding grounds for insects and rodent pests if not properly managed. The
potential of using coconut husk and shell for some commercial products have previously been identified [10]. Therefore, a
better approach to handling coconut biomass would be to use it as a raw material in the manufacture of door mats, ash tray
and other craft products. Regrettably, only a few vendors get to sell the fiber to artisans in this trade because the market
is not large enough to mop up significant amounts of coconut waste. Alternatively, the biomass could serve as an energy
source through combustion.

Food safety knowledge among vendors

Generally, knowledge among the fresh coconut vendors regarding some key food safety issues, was encouraging. For
example, the vendors were aware of the importance of wearing clean apparels and keeping a tidy selling environment to
reduce the risk of food borne diseases. As observed by Akonor and Ayim Akonor [2] and Muyanja et al., [17], majority
(82%) of the vendors agreed that washing of hands with soap during operation and after handling money enhances food
safety. The remaining 18% were either indifferent or they completely disagreed with this assertion. According to Barro et al.,
[5] street food vendors hand and money harbor food borne pathogens such as coliforms, salmonella and staphylococcus and
therefore failure to practice good hand washing may result in food contamination.
In regards to coconut water being an avenue for contracting food borne diseases, there was a marginal difference be-
tween the responses from the vendors. The majority, however reasoned that it is possible and therefore were mindful of the
hygiene status of the product they sell to consumers. The results showed that the higher the educational level, the more
likely (χ 2 = 12.81, p = 0.024) it is for a vendor to attach importance to the hygiene status of the coconuts. Majority of
the respondents with primary (54.2%) and secondary education (73.7%) indicated that consumers can contract food borne
diseases through mishandling coconut. On the other hand, most of the respondents (70%) who did not have any formal
education opined that food borne diseases cannot be contracted through fresh coconut products (Fig. 2). This suggest that
education may have influenced their food safety knowledge as noted by Soares et al. [22]. Consistent with other previ-
ous studies [3,22] age, gender and other demographic indices had no influence on the knowledge of the study population
(p > 0.05).
6 C. Oduro-Yeboah, N.B. Ackah and P.T. Akonor et al. / Scientific African 8 (2020) e00392

Fig. 2. Relationship between educational level and food safety knowledge.

Conclusion

The study showed that coconut vending is generally a male dominated business, with majority having basic education
(primary school). Vendors either had a unique selling location or were found to roam the streets within the study area with
their goods displayed on head pans or push carts. These vendors obtain fresh coconuts from local markets, farm gates or
from middle men who serve as wholesale agents. The vendors revealed that only about 30% of consumers buy coconuts
exclusively for its water. Generally respondents’ knowledge in food safety was encouraging, and was positively influenced
by level of education. That notwithstanding, some food safety challenges such as potential cross contamination of packaging
materials and difficulty in handling and disposing of coconut waste were identified. Good sanitary practices and other public
health and food safety advocacy may be adopted to complement the knowledge of vendors.

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